Program Updates Archives | Summer Youth Programs Newsblog

Virtual Program “Calling All Writers” now offered August 3rd to 7th, 2020

Published July 6, 2020

Program Updates

Where can writing take you? Do you love to write? Are you looking for a chance to connect with other student writers and develop your skills?

High school students in grades 9-11 are invited to join us for a week-long virtual writing workshop offered by Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs and the Michigan Tech Humanities Department.

virtual classroom

Using interactive games and activities, we’ll take you on a week-long adventure to explore writing in a variety of forms. You’ll meet current Michigan Tech students, interact with professional writers, and explore writing-related careers. During the week you’ll produce your own writing projects (and we’ll even help you find places to submit them for publication!).

Online group meetings 2 hours in the morning, 10am-12pm, and 1 hour in the afternoon, 2-3 pm EST. Online sessions will be active and engaging, students will be collaborating with each other and the instructors, not just viewing online content.

This course has a registration fee of $225 due at sign-up. To sign up, visit us online and choose course number 52174. If you have questions about this or other virtual Youth Programs please email us at syp@mtu.edu.

Registration for SYP 2020 is now live!

Published December 17, 2019

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Program Updates

The holidays may be just around the corner, but here at Michigan Technological University, we can’t stop thinking about summer!

We are excited to announce that our 2020 Summer Youth Programs course catalog is NOW LIVE! We have several NEW courses this year, including:

Intro to Machine Learning
Transforming Sunlight into Energy
Engineering Psychology and Human Factors
U.P. Summer Theater Institute
Plus, we have over 50 other explorations in a variety of fields.

2020 Summer Youth Programs also brings the return of several middle and high school competitive scholarship programs:
Women in Engineering
Engineering Scholars Program
Women in Automotive Engineering
Junior Women in Engineering
Rail and Intermodal Transportation
National Summer Transportation Institute
GenCyber

2020 Summer Youth Program launching SOON!

Published December 4, 2019

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Program Updates

Summer Youth Programs are coming back in 2020 for another great summer of exploring, learning, and making new friends. This year we will have around 50 courses to offer along with our Competitive Scholarship Programs. Some new courses for 2020 include:

Into to Machine Learning: The amount of data on the internet is projected to reach over 450 GB per day by the year 2025! Manually analyzing and finding trends in this amount of data is impossible, so we rely on computers and machine learning to do the analysis for us. In this course students will learn how to use machine learning tools to allow for automatic data analysis and visualization. Students will get a glimpse of the problems computer engineers and data scientists work on, as well as an idea of the career opportunities available to those who choose this field.

Transforming Sunlight Into Energy: Ever wondered why solar panels are blue or what they are made of? This exploration will take you into Michigan Tech’s microfabrication facility where you will fabricate, test, and even take home your own solar cell. Additional projects will demonstrate how what you learn in the microfab is being used to fabricate smartphones, computers, lab-on-a-chips, and optical devices.

Engineering Psychology and Human Factors: Human Factors (also referred to as Engineering Psychology) is a scientific discipline which examines human behavior and capabilities in order to find the best ways to design products, equipment and systems for maximum safe, effective, satisfying use by humans. It is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on a range of unique topics of interest in psychology and engineering. Unique concentrations include cognitive ergonomics, which is the scientific discipline of making technology systems compatible with human cognitive abilities and limitations at work. On the other hand, user experience engineering carefully studies how workers interact with tools, technology and systems in order to improve functionality and efficiency. Finally, error prevention is one of the most important specializations because it plays an active role in reducing quality and safety concerns. In sum, Human Factors specialists seek to improve society by saving money, saving time, or saving lives! In this class you will get hands on experience with a driving simulator, eye trackers, robotic motor behavior system, and other commonly used techniques used in the field.

U.P. Summer Theater Institute (Choose from Performers focus or Tech/Design): Do you have dreams of singing and dancing on Broadway? This immersive program will lead aspiring performers through a three week rehearsal period, culminating in performances of a full scale musical for a public audience on the stages of Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts! The UP Summer Theater Institute has created a program that mirrors the professional rehearsal and performance process that industry professionals are accustomed to when hired at an Equity theater. For the Tech/Design focus: If you love the theater, but would rather run the soundboard, call the curtain cues, build the set, or run the followspot than perform onstage, this program is for you! This program will give aspiring young designers and theater technicians the chance to hone their understanding of lighting, audio/sound design, set design/construction, costume design/construction, and stage management as the mount a full-scale musical on the stages of Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking at Summer Camp

Published February 12, 2019

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Program Updates

Have you ever wondered what it takes to start your own business? Got an idea for a product or innovation that you want to get going on? Love problem-solving?

If any of these questions sound like you or someone you know, consider a new exploration that Summer Youth Programs (SYP) is offering this year: From Idea to Market.

Created as a hybrid of two previous explorations (Be Your Own Boss and The World of Design), From Idea to Market is hosted jointly by Michigan Tech’s School of Business and Economics and the Pavlis Honors College. To get a first-hand account of how fun a course like this can be, we talked to current Michigan Tech student Sarah Smyth, who attended Be Your Own Boss when she was a high school student.

“I decided to try the business exploration because I wanted to see a bit of what business is like,” Smyth says. She notes that she enjoyed business-related courses in high school and wanted to explore the field further by coming to SYP.

From Idea to Market will cover many aspects of business as well as design thinking: a human-centered process for developing innovative solutions to life’s messy problems. Students will identify a problem they’d like to address and apply the design thinking process to create an innovative solution.

Students explore design thinking at The Alley, Michigan Tech's MakerSpace. — Students explore design thinking at The Alley, Michigan Tech’s MakerSpace.

The course will then dive into the basics of what it takes to start a business by applying the Lean Start-up process to develop a business model. Get ready to pitch your idea to a panel of judges—and you’ll have an opportunity to market your ideas right here on campus.

Don’t worry: no prior experience or knowledge is necessary to become a Michigan Tech SYP innovator and entrepreneur! Smyth’s experience highlights the fun of exploring a new potential major, noting that her favorite part was “the ability to try out my ideas, and talk to professors about their subjects of expertise.” It’s personal, too, and set her up for a great first-year experience as an undergraduate student at Michigan Tech: “I was given the opportunity to meet my future teachers and they still remembered me when I started [here] the following year.”

Students meet with a local business owner at KC Bonker’s toys and coffee.

What else does Sarah remember from her time at SYP outside of class? The experience of being on campus during the summer, making friends, and finding out what being a Husky is all about.

SYP has some of the best people you will ever meet. Everyone is so open and friendly. When going to the beach trip I forgot my swimsuit but a girl I never talked to before offered me her extra one and we got to hang out in the water together. The people here really do care about you and that’s what makes Michigan Tech such an amazing place to go.

We can’t wait to see some of you this June at From Idea to Market. If you’re like us and are already excited for SYP 2019, visit the online course listing to sign up today or request a mailed catalog. If you have any questions, you can always find us at syp@mtu.edu or by phone at 906-487-2219.

Engineering Scholarships Expand to Answer Middle School Demand

Published January 15, 2019

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Program Updates

By Cyndi Perkins | Originally Published 4:42 p.m., November 20, 2018

JWIE

The traditional season of giving — both thanks and gifts — is upon us. What better time to look back on a summer scholarship surprise that opened doors for 40 young women interested in engineering careers?

For more than 40 years, Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs (SYP) has been offering experiences that stretch the boundaries of more traditional camps and put STEM education into action through team projects, on-campus activities and field trips. One of the most popular programs is Junior Women in Engineering (JWIE). JWIE is one of several highly competitive scholarship-funded programs that covers tuition, room and board. In 2018, 60 middle-school students applied to JWIE, which historically accepts 20 students.

When ITC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jon Jipping heard about the overwhelming interest and demand in the program, he proposed a solution: ITC Holdings Corp., an electricity transmission company based in Novi, Michigan, volunteered to cover the $40,000 cost for the remaining 40 young women to attend JWIE and other SYP engineering programs (there are several experiences to choose from).

“Mr. Jipping didn’t want the first message these girls received in pursuing engineering to be a ‘no,'” said Amanda Jackson, assistant director at Michigan Tech’s Center for Pre-College Outreach, which operates the SYP explorations and other college access programs that bring science, technology, engineering and math to K-12 students around the country and the world.

“ITC has long recognized the need for more young women to enter the engineering profession. It’s programs like this that quench the thirst for knowledge and help place students on the path to academic — and professional — success.”Jon Jipping, ITC Holdings

A group of young women with the front row kneeling and smiling in summer clothing inside a building on a college campus. — Ashley Simpson has been a part of Summer Youth Programs in three roles now: camper, counselor and mentor. (Michigan Tech Center for Pre-College Outreach)

The company also sent an ambassador — 2009 Michigan Tech graduate Ashley Simpson, a human performance specialist with ITC, returned to Houghton to chat with SYP campers and share what it’s like to work for the largest independent electricity transmission company in the country.

“As an alum of Summer Youth Programs, I know what a difference it can make in the lives of young women,” said Simpson, who attended SYP as a high school students and returned as a counselor during her studies at Michigan Tech. “My hope is that programs like this continue to provide opportunities for young women to grow and succeed while at school, as well as after graduation.”Ashley Simpson, ’09

Read the complete original story by visiting the Michigan Tech news page.

Automotive Engineering Program Offered for High School Women

Published January 9, 2019

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Program Updates

Exciting news from Summer Youth Programs—we have another scholarship opportunity for you!

Our friends in the Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics department will be partnering with Dana Incorporated to bring back the Women in Automotive Engineering program this summer!

Women in Automotive Engineering (WIAE) is a competitive scholarship program and is essentially an investigation of careers in automotive engineering. WIAE provides an opportunity for academically talented young women to explore the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering within the automotive industry. Through projects and classroom investigations, the participants will build a better understanding of the importance of automotive engineering. Plan to explore real engineering labs; meet and interact with female leaders and role models; and take trips throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula—all while investigating career opportunities and meeting other talented students with similar interests.

Not only did I gain knowledge about majors and career choices, but I learned in a hands on environment, giving me an exciting learning experience. We even raced a go kart to test electric power vs. gas power. I got to work in a lab and was introduced to a variety of careers, showing me how many options my future holds.

Sanam P. from Columbus, OH, WIAE Participant

All selected participants will receive a scholarship made possible by Dana.

For more information and to download the application, visit the Competitive Scholarship Programs page of our website. We are thrilled to have this program back in the rotation for 2019!

If you’re like us and are already excited for SYP 2019, you can go ahead and request a catalog. That way, you will be among the first to receive the 2019 listings when they print. If you have any questions, you can always find us at syp@mtu.edu or by phone at 906-487-2219.

2019 Summer Youth Programs Applications are Now Open!

Published December 12, 2018

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Program Updates

An Adventure Awaits!
Our students build robots, explore engineering, analyze mock crime scenes, launch rockets, and even inspect ecosystems. With 50+ explorations offered this year, middle and high schoolers can choose their own adventure this summer! Some new courses for 2019 include Calling all Writers (an introduction to writing across disciplines), From Idea to Market (combining design thinking and entrepreneurship) and Engineering Technology 101 (a deep dive into the technology disciplines).

From Michigan Technological University’s first programs in 1972 to now, we share the college experience and the excitement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Are you ready for an adventure? Sign up now!

View the full 2019 course catalog at mtu.edu/syp/discover/courses

SYP 2018 Dates Announced

Published March 20, 2018

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Program Updates

The Summer Youth Programs staff is excited to announce that we have sketched out our calendar for 2018. SYP exploration dates for specific classes/explorations are not yet set, but you can use the dates below to start thinking about what your summer 2018 will look like.

Summer Youth Programs week 1: June 17-23, 2018
Summer Youth Programs week 2: June 24-30, 2018
Summer Youth Programs week 3: July 8-14, 2018
Summer Youth Programs week 4: July 15-21, 2018
Engineering Scholars Program/Women in Computer Science: July 22-28, 2018
Women in Engineering: July 29-August 4, 2018
(Yes, we are bringing back 4 weeks of Summer Youth Programs courses!)

We will announce the specific dates for programs like Rail & Intermodal Transportation, National Summer Transportation Institute, Women in Automotive Engineering, and other specific courses a little later this fall.

We are excited about 2018 and are busily working on new offerings for you!

Please check back for more information soon!

Category: Program Updates